


I will love you in the dark

by orphan_account



Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-08
Updated: 2019-12-12
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:40:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21723136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Dani searches for Malcolm.  Part 1 of 3.
Relationships: Malcolm Bright/Dani Powell
Comments: 38
Kudos: 103





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Loose spoilers based on actor, and producer interviews..also constant and biased fangiriling of Brightwell.

48 hours. It had been 48 hours since she last saw him. Since she had got any semblance of sleep. She wishes she had gone with him. She knew he was lying about where he was going, and she trusted he’d tell her when he was ready.

She trusted him.

She should have made him open up to her. They would talk later, she thought foolishly. She didn’t have many friends, and she felt like she had just lost one.

She cared for him more than she could reason. She saw him, all of him. She knew he saw her too. At least what she let him see, and then some. She can still see the pain in his eyes from their last conversation. Even when she closes her eyes, the depth of his pain seeps through the darkness in excruciating bursts. She isn’t mad that he lied to her. He was protecting her. A relentless fear pulsates through her, carrying just enough adrenaline to keep her standing.

Her fingers tremble. She struggles to latch her swat vest, and sighs as JT places a steadying hand on her shoulder. He frowns down at her, and she nods weakly. He secures her vest carefully, and straightens the front as he had done for so many of his shell-shocked fellow Marines. Dani wasn’t a Marine. She was as tough as anyone he had ever fought with, but today she looked as if she was made of china. Fragile. Ready to break. He doesn’t ask if she is alright. She isn’t. None of them are.

Gil approaches them, his clothes look slept in. Although he showered, he didn’t shave. JT feels his own cheek realizing he didn’t either. He only slept by using techniques taught to him in Afghanistan. If you could call it sleep. It was clinical, dreamless, and a necessary evil to be useful to his team. He had taught Dani these sleep techniques after her overdose. He saw the PTSD overtaking her, and he wasn’t going to let his partner face those demons alone. He wondered if she slept at all. Her half-shut eyes telling him she didn’t. JT’s phone buzzes, he sees another text from Edrisa, and puts the phone away without responding. Still nothing to report.

JT looks away from Gil’s face, unable to rectify what exactly he was feeling. He is relieved when Gil passes him going over to Dani.

JT thinks he hears a sob escape Dani’s throat. His gut aches. He looks back at them. Gil gently cups her face as he says something that JT can’t make out. JT had never seen her this upset before, and it makes his blood run cold. They had to find Bright. They all knew that even when they did find him, he would be in rough shape. Lazar was torturing Bright, and he didn’t know if he’d be the same Bright. He was barely functioning before, and now? He looked at his shoes, unable to watch Dani’s pain anymore.

Gil is quick to hold Dani as just a few more tired sobs rack her small frame. She holds onto him, almost taking him down as her knees began to give. He lifts her up firmly, and quietly asks JT for some help.

Swanson gives them a few minutes to get it together. Bright had done this to himself. He doesn’t follow the rules now, and he didn’t follow them back then. She didn’t like how it affected Powell. She has so much potential, and Bright would be her ruin.

Gil and Dani break away from each other. Dani grabs his hand as the circle around a stoic Swanson tightens.

The team is her only family. They were each other’s family. Ever since Jackie passed. They were each other’s touchstones. Malcolm was now too. She squeezes Gil’s hand with a silent thank you before giving her full attention to Swanson.

When Swanson taps Dani to go with her, she is too tired to protest. She didn’t trust her either, and she feels the need to keep an eye on her. Protect him. Both Gil, and JT went off with the other team. Dani notices Gil studying her silently as they part. Their shared concern tethering them together even as the distance grew. They would find him. They had to.

____________________

She wasn’t sure how long they had been walking. Swanson was using thermographic equipment as most of Lazar’s hiding spots had been underground.

Hours pass. Nothing.

Dani felt dizzy, but hid it well.

Most of their team had fallen behind. They stopped to eat, and Dani chose to continue, not hungry since he went missing.

Dani stumbles.

Swanson wouldn’t let her continue on without eating a protein bar, and Dani numbly agrees. Swanson also ensures Dani continues drinking water as they go. She wasn’t heartless, and she could tell Dani wasn’t thinking about her own health at all. She didn’t know how she was moving as fast as she was. She clearly hadn’t slept.

“You are no use to my team if we have to carry you out of here.”

Dani did not acknowledge Swanson for most of that day, and she wasn’t going to begin now. She had figured out a way to tune in for the important bits, and hummed out the rest.

Basically, anytime she said ‘Bright,’ it wasn’t to voice her concern, or a read-she was just warning Dani against him. This was so disrespectful. Dani had eyes, ears, and a brain. All of which knew Malcolm. Knew his flaws, knew when he broke the rules he did it to help. He was a good person. A troubled person. He was like her. Screwed up.

If she closes her eyes, she can still feel his arms grasping desperately at her as he violently came to from his night terror. Her body grows cold without him. The sun begins to lower on the horizon.

It was another hour in these endless woods before Swanson’s sensor begins picking up a weak heat signature just beneath them.

Dani falls to her knees roughly brushing away the fallen pine needles. She ignored Swanson asking her to wait for the excavation team. Her finger tips became bloody as she dug away at the decaying forest floor. She wasn’t sure when Swanson had joined her. The two of them making quick work of reaching a hidden hatch door.

Dani finds a swiss army knife JT had given her as a joke gift. He had told her to stab her Ex with it.

“Less messy than a bullet,” the attached note read.

She begins to pry at the edge of the clear plastic bolted window, and hears the echo of Swanson’s voice. She doesn’t hear what she says as she loosens one of the bolts. Swanson grabs her hand to stop her.

“Powell, are you going to continue disregarding my orders? You are not going in there without the team. It’s not only dangerous, it’s stupid,” Swanson wasn’t surprised when Dani shook her hand off her continuing to pry open the hatch herself. She deserved whatever Bright would ultimately do to her. Defeated, Swanson sat back for a few more minutes before mumbling something under her breath. She rummaged through her pack finding a crow bar.

“Seriously?!” Dani demanded as Swanson easily pried open the cover. “If he’s dead, I’ll kill you myself.”

“Threatening a superior officer? Careful Powell.”

Dani ignored her taking a deep breath, and squeezing her eyes shut. She had another gulp of fresh air before finding the courage to lower herself down into the darkness.

“I’m coming Malcolm, please wait for me.” She thought she said quietly enough for Swanson not to hear.

_________________________

This place was a nightmare. Complete darkness. There were random noises, including drips that seemed to rain down from no discernable source. Please be alive. She took some calming breaths, but they did nothing to slow her heart rate. The fear causing her hand to tremble like she had seen his.

She had gotten into the habit of stopping it for him. He jumped the first time she threaded her slender fingers gently through his. After that, he came to expect it. Even the team began ignoring it. Eventually they didn’t even acknowledge it. The last few times she could have sworn he held on a little longer than necessary. She felt his grip tighten as she began to pull away. He ran his thumb in gentle circles into her palm. Her breath caught, and he stares into her eyes searching for something in return. She blinks. He smiles. His mask slips back into place. He let’s go of her hand. His moment of vulnerability is gone. She feels cold without his touch. Her anxiety swells as she hits the ground hard, bringing her back to the present.

Dani moves quickly, gun drawn. Her phone’s flashlight barely lighting the darkened tunnel. She thinks she hears Swanson following closely behind, and doesn’t wait to find out. Two more turns, and she squints seeing a dim light leaking through the edges of a padlocked door.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Malcolm is tortured by Lazar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoiler warning as I looked at fan analysis photos of Malcolm whump..yup. I research.  
> First time writing whump, and I need a hug. Thank you for fangirling with me.

38 hours ago.

Malcolm wakes to the sound of metal hitting metal reverberating off the walls. His new prison.

Paul swings the pipe against the steel door once more before laughing as Malcolm attempts to sit up. He tries to back away from him, but is pulled back. Malcolm tests the limits of his new arm restraint. The rusted chain slaps the padded floor.

Paul was careful to ensure he had no chance of escape. No hope. Malcolm shuts his eyes concentrating on what he had to live for.

Paul approaches him silently.

Malcolm’s eyes shoot open. He sits up, ready to fight him off with his free limbs. It is pointless, and had earned another blow to his head when he had fought him earlier. Also, this new bracelet which was definitely giving him tetanus. He tried to remember his last vaccine.

He wipes his brow, and sees fresh blood pooling between his fingers. He feels woozy, but tries to get a lick in. Lazar easily dodges him.

“You got spirit kid. I’ll give you that.” Paul watches Malcolm carefully, studying him. Malcolm does not look away from him like the others. Paul likes this. This is how Martin broke him in. Although, he was a willing participant.

Paul finds he likes the feeling of Martin’s Prodigal son at his mercy.

Malcolm begins to laugh. He quickly becomes hysterical with laughter. Paul stares at him, his brow knitting. Paul slams the pipe on the ground a foot from Malcolm’s restrained hand. This makes his uncontrollable laughing much worse. He falls to his side; his arm painfully twists beneath his back as Paul places his boot firmly on his chest.

“It’s not time for you to lose it yet. I have a lot planned for us.” Malcolm’s face remains red, and he tries to catch his breath, but Lazar is crushing his chest. “Are you done?” Malcolm nods while he is still able to.

“I’ll be back with a surprise.”

Malcolm hugs his stomach, his legs lifting up to his chest. Paul leaves the lights on. Malcolm shut his eyes concentrating on the buzz of the lights. A poor man’s noise machine.

He can ignore the physical pain, but his mind is fracturing. He can feel a darkness traveling through him. Tainting him.

He pushes it all down by thinking of her. His friend. He thinks of how she took care of him, how she always takes care of him.

“I can’t be fixed, so-“

“I don’t think that’s true.”

He can still see her luminous dark eyes shining back at him with love. For a moment he thought what if he was not so broken. His hand begins to tremble, and he can almost feel her delicate fingers sliding in-between his, this sends warmth through his battered body.

He drifts into a light sleep. His last thought of her.

______________________________________

“The body can survive three weeks without food, but only 3 days without water. Isn’t that a bitch?”

Paul kicks a bottle of dirty water over to Malcolm’s back. It bounces off his still form, rolling a few feet away.

“I know you are awake, sit up.”

Malcolm takes a deep breath. He tries to remember he is smarter than this psycho. He just needs to put this monster down before he is tortured to death. Piece of cake.

He struggles to get up, and eyes the water just out of his reach.

“Sorry, no Brita down here.”

Malcolm smirks at Paul’s attempt at comedy. It has the desired affect as the humorless smile leaves Paul’s face.

“Drink up Malcolm.”

Paul kicks the bottle to him, and Malcolm takes it, mouthing thanks.

Paul watches in amazement as Malcolm downs the muddy drip water down like it’s champagne.

Malcolm fights the foreign matter from making its way back up as he coughs. “Want some?” Malcolm offers. Paul stares back at him blankly. He shrugs downing it to the last drop. “I prefer Dasani,” Malcolm dead pans before rolling the empty bottle back to Paul’s foot.

“Oh, a comedian, go ahead Malcolm-make me laugh.”

“You hated your grandfather, so you dropped a car on him. You hate your grandmother. Maybe more than anyone, you want to stomp the life out of her, but you can’t. She fed you, kept you clean, f*cked with your psyche-”

“Careful-” Paul’s voice is low and threatening.

Malcolm’s is confident, and booming.

“So, you blinded her. Took control. Just like you are taking control of me.”

Paul claps. “Martin was right about you.”

Malcolm stares back at Lazar, his face is calm. “You didn’t have a father figure, and he tricked you.”

Before he has time to react Paul lunges at him cutting his upper bicep. He winces, the cut is superficial. The red soaks through his tattered dress shirt. It doesn’t feel good, but he likes the pain. The pain distracts him from the voices plaguing his troubled mind.

“Martin is a genius. You don’t know how lucky you had it.”

Malcolm beams in response. He can see how angry Paul is getting, and he just needs him to get a little closer.

Paul smiles back wiping Malcom’s blood off the edge of his switchblade with his bare fingers.

“I can’t believe you still have this. You were carrying it on you for f*ck sake.”

Paul laughs as the color drains from Malcolm’s face.

Malcolm shivers as a memory of Paul helping him use it flashes too quickly to completely make it out.

He can feel the panic in his gut first. It pinches, and pulls his insides. It stretches, and binds him. It trickles over from his stomach to his cuffed hand. Swollen, and bruised. Numb. It spills like soiled water up his throat.

Malcolm’s blood shot eyes twinkle as his eyes fill. He tries to swallow it down, but he chokes. He swallows again, a small whimper escaping his throat before he can stop it. He keeps himself together, but doesn’t know how much longer he can.

“Pull it together kid.” The phrase triggers another memory.

An all-encompassing shadowy veil swings over him like a parachute.

Flashes. He see’s her clearly now. She is alive, and so scared. Looking at him, terrified of him.

He tries to speak, console her. He tries, but nothing comes out. Is he dreaming? He watches as Paul’s face lights up with excitement over her pain. He hands the knife to Malcolm, and places his hand over Malcolm’s tiny one.

“Steady now,” his father patiently reminds him.

“Malcolm!” Paul shouts as Malcolm stares off.

Paul approaches him cautiously. There is a stillness to Malcolm that even frightens the monster.

Malcolm still looks the same to him though. Just a scared little kid. The kid that ruined everything.

Paul could feel the anger building. It gave him too much confidence. He decided to press his luck.

“JT Tarmel. 39, ex-Marine. Wife Talley, homemaker. Dani Powell, 26. Unmarried.”

Malcolm felt the darkness give way to rage. Paul notices the change.

“Oh Dani, she is pretty. Maybe I’ll take her out, show her a nice time before I..”

Paul kneels down to Malcolm, and continues to whisper into his ear “have a good tim-“

Malcolm slams his elbow into his face breaking his nose. Malcolm knocks him down on his back.

He has enough slack to hit him with both hands. He feels himself lose control. He feels his knuckles snapping his bones, and he feels his own bones breaking. He feels nothing.

The lights above him flicker off for a moment bringing him back. Paul Lazar’s face was now just a bloody mess. He was dead.

Malcolm climbs off of him.

He drags Lazar’s limp body closer, he takes his switch blade, and spots the pipe sticking out of the back of his shirt.

__________________________________________

He lays his options in front of himself. His options were, saw off his own hand. Or, break his hand, and slide it out of the cuff.

He thinks about Nico, what a brave soul he thinks as he reaches for the pipe.

____________________________________

Dani sticks her phone into her vest, flashlight sticking out. She looks at the lock, and stands to the side of it. She sizes up her target, and pulls the trigger. It works well. The bullet blows the lock off.

It ricochets with a spark.

A yelp.

“You b*tch. Oh my G*d. You shot me. You dumb f*cking b*tch.” Swanson is on the ground clutching her calf.

“You’ll survive. Stay put,” Dani points a finger at her, and pins her with a serious stare.

She opens the door, and sees Malcolm about to smash his own hand.

“BRIGHT, NO!” Malcolm just misses his hand, and the pipe flies from his bloody grip.

Dani wants to cry. She wants to touch him. She wants to hold him.

Instead, she leaves him.

Malcolm sways back on his heel toppling over with a thud.

Dani rushes back with a rusty set of keys. Her hands shake as she tries several without any luck. Malcolm is unconscious, and her need to free him blocks her airway. He shudders.

“Malcolm,” she cries, brushing his bloody hair from his face as he wakes with a start.

Malcolm’s breathing is shallow. He groans.

“You think I look bad, you should see the other guy.”

Dani chokes on her tears, cupping his face gently. She leans down kissing his forehead. He closes his eyes, to her touch. One last shiver runs through him before some heat returns to his body.

Dani pulls away fumbling with the overcrowded key chain.

“It’s that one,” Malcolm says calmly grabbing one with the same amount of rust and filth as his cuff. She releases his hand, and thinks she hears him say her name.

She carefully helps him sit up. Dani holds his hands frowning at how bruised, and broken he looks. She lifts his bruised wrist to her lips, and gently kisses him. He can barely feel her, but it’s all he feels in that moment.

He lets her study him. He watches as she assesses his physical damage. Wonders if she can see the new emotional scars warping him.

As if she heard his thoughts, she wraps her arms around his still, and battered body. It isn’t until he feels her breakdown in his arms that he mimics her movements slowly wrapping his arms around her with what little strength he had left.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy, thank you for the feedback

“No way.”

“Dani, Just, this is between me and Gil. Stay out of it…Oh..I’m. I’m sorry. Dani-”

Malcolm wishes his tone was softer. Wishes he could go just five minutes without hurting the people he loves.

He sees a quick gleam in her eyes before she looks at the floor ringing her fingers. Both his hands tremble, and he feels them watching him too closely. Seeing him splinter. He gently cups her wrist running his fingers gently over her pulse point. She nods, not looking up at him. An acknowledgement. Not forgiveness. He let’s go of her wrist rubbing his eyes with both hands. He needed a drink.

It had been a month. One month since she found him. His wrist still bearing a crimson lopsided reminder. A blemish. A souvenir. Something to remind him he never had a chance at normalcy.

Gil frowns at them. He worries for the both of them, and hopes he is making the right choice.

“Malcolm, Dani is right.”

Malcolm sticks his fists into his pockets bearing down to still them as his tremor worsens.

“Gil?! I need this,” his voice cracks, and Dani reaches out to him, but he’s too raw. He moves away, and she backs off. He can’t let her in. If she knew what he had done.

He needs air.

“Thanks a lot Gil.”

He storms past Dani, past the beat cops who want an up-close look at the freak.

He is three blocks away before he feels safe enough to back into the alleyway.

With shaky hands, he loosens his tie, letting it fall to the ground. He can’t get air. No f*cking air.

He leans against the wall, and slides down to his knees.

He can feel a phantom cuff bighting at his skin. He can smell the stench of mildew and rot. He tries to control his breathing. He thinks of her, but it doesn’t work. Every time his mind goes back to that day.

He doesn’t remember hurting her. The sick feeling, he carries with him tells him he did. He was a killer.

If any of them knew. They’d hate him as much as he hates himself. He checks his inside pocket locating a loose Ativan. He hesitates knowing he has a bottle of Johnny Walker blue waiting for him. He can’t get home to it like this.

He does what he needs to do.

_____________________________

Dani stands outside of his apartment. She plays with the key in her pocket. She pushes the jagged edges into the pad of her thumb scared of what she’ll find up there. She knows he’s keeping something from them. She knows he is self-medicating. She needs to see him. Today was the first time she had seen him since their kiss.

She didn’t mean to. He was leaning back against the couch looking at her with a small smile. His smile is what she misses the most. G*d she misses him.

He touches her face, tracing her dimple with his thumb.

“What?” She beams at him, placing her hand on his thigh. She squeezes, “Tell ME!”

“Ahhh..you’re beautiful, ok? Ow.”

Dani leans over running her hand down his cheek. “You need to shav-”

She could swear she felt his lips on hers first, but it didn’t matter, he was kissing her back now. He ran his hands beneath her blouse. He leans her back placing a pillow behind her head. She helps him with her bra, grabbing his face as soon as she can. He kisses her back hungerly. She grabs at his belt. He groans, climbing off her suddenly.

“Yeah, I’m sorry. I can’t do this Dani.”

She knows this key is not her key. She wonders how long before Gil notices it’s gone.

She decides.

She isn’t going to let him shut her out. She needs him. He needs someone.

She is his someone.

________________________________________

The lights are off. Sunshine whistles frantically as Dani finds a light switch.

“Oh, Shh. It’s okay.”

Dani washes and fills her dishes. Something she had got in the habit of doing when he couldn’t get out of bed. It took him a while to adjust to his new meds. His lows keeping him in bed for days.

Dani makes her way to his bedroom. She hopes to find him asleep. Safe, so she can get some rest.

She could sleep anywhere, and figured she’d decide on where once she knew he was okay.

A dread her anxiety medication can’t touch shackles her to the floor a few feet from his door. Her heart beats rapidly making her feel weak as she pushes his bedroom door open.

______________________________________

Malcolm sits with his back against wall. His eyes hooded. A bottle of whisky in his hand. He takes a swig not acknowledging her.

She approaches him cautiously. She sits down next to him pulling her knees to her chest. She takes the bottle from him, and he’s too far gone to fight her on it. She shifts so their bodies are touching. Malcolm sighs leaning into her.

His proximity giving her a warmth she didn’t know she was missing.

“Malcolm-Please don’t shut me out. I need you.”

Her voice shakes, and he finally cracks. He rubs his tear away quickly.

“No one needs me Dani. You deserve so much better. Someone good. I’m a killer.”

Malcolm sobers slightly. He buries his face in his hands as Dani runs her hand in small circles on his back.

“Malcolm you had no choice. Lazar would have kil-“

“I think I killed the girl in the box.”

He regrets it as soon as he says it. The words linger between them, and she doesn’t run. She doesn’t look at him any different. She looks at him with love, her chin quivering a bit. She manages to kiss his forehead gently before the tears come.

Malcolm can’t take her sympathy. It guts him. He exhales pulling her against him.

“You were just a child,” she whispers running her hand over his chest.

“Thank you for telling me.”

Malcolm nods lifting her chin. He tenderly kisses her lips, then kisses her forehead.

“Do you want to come to bed?”

“You are drunk Malcolm. I don’t want to take advantage of you.”

“PLEASE take advantage of me.”

“I mean, I’ll hold you, but no funny business.”

“I’m too drunk for business.”

Dani rolled her eyes helping him up. She undresses him, and he watches her. She hits his hand away as he rests it comfortably on her ass.

“You’re wearing too many clothing items. I never understood the indoor scarf. Like is it for warmth or hipsterism.”

“That is not a word.”

“Prove it- “

Malcolm turns green.

“Are you gonna be sick?”

Malcolm nods frantically running into the bathroom. Dani hangs back.

“Hey Bright, you good?” Malcolm gives a thumbs up in her general direction hugging the bowl.

It was a long night.

____________________________________

He faulters a few times at first. Dani is the first to notice the change. He wipes his brow with a shaky hand as Gil briefs them. Then the tremor. It was both hands. No one speaks as Dani grab’s his arm leading him to men’s room.

“Go,” Dani threatens a rookie cop zipping up his fly. He heads to the sink.

“There’s a sink in the breakroom Jones.”

The tone of her voice stops him in his tracks. He turns on his heel looking at Bright losing his shit behind her. Dani lunges toward him. He scurries away like a rat.

She locks the door, and Malcolm goes over to the sink splashing cold water on his face. Dani wets her hand, and runs her hand over the back of his neck. He sighs at her touch. She gives him as much time as he needs. She feels his muscles relax beneath her touch.

Once he is calm, she helps him stand. He should probably go home, but he won’t. He grabs a clean towel drying her hands. She straightens his collar, and runs her palms down his chest. He pulls her close kissing her temple.

“Can we go home now?”

Malcolm nods shrugging.

“Will you be taking advantage of me Detective Powell?”

“Definitely.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is for my friends. Now write some for me please.


End file.
